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external grooving tool holder + inserts kits - suggestions?

specfab

Titanium
Joined
May 28, 2005
Location
AZ
I'm looking for a general purpose external grooving tool kit (for lathe use) that might contain a variety of inserts for different groove widths related to standard retaining ring/e-clip thicknesses. I'm a one-man prototype shop, and most likely one insert of each size from about .020 to about .060 with the appropriate holder would work very well. Anyone know of a supplier that has put such a kit together? I thought I had seen one a couple of years ago, but don't seem to find anything like that now in my travels across the internet. Thanks --
 
Check out something like the Kennametal Top Notch holders. The same holder will hold grooving, threading, and profiling inserts with a wide variety of geometries and coatings available.
 
Check out something like the Kennametal Top Notch holders. The same holder will hold grooving, threading, and profiling inserts with a wide variety of geometries and coatings available.

+1 for Kennametal top notch. One holder with just about any insert you could hope for.
It's a pretty robust insert pocket too.

Edit: Not sure about the suppliers near you, but Kennametal is the only company around here that has decent inventory, and will sell inserts singly.
 
Thanks to everyone for the input. I had indeed already looked at ThinBit, Kennametal, and Nikcole online info, and I think I lost my patience based on needing something "right now". As Ray notes, the Kaiser info is a bit cryptic, which I also found to be the case with the other two. Was hoping for a one-size-fits-all kit situation, for my limited usage.

I solved my immediate problem by grinding a .029 wide HSS tool, but looks like I will have to do some "book-larnin'" and put together my own bundle of holder and inserts for next time. Buying inserts always seems to turn into as much work as making the actual parts....I guess that's the next project after getting my tax docs gathered up.
 
On Ebay, I've sometimes seen mixed lots of Top Notch inserts, slightly used, or used one end only, for something like a buck or two apiece. This is a pretty good deal.

I'd highly recommend getting a natural diamond wheel to touch up these and other carbide tools. You can get half a dozen lives out of one end of a Top notch insert if you don't let it go completely to hell first. And, you can also modify the thickness in a pinch. Touch up a thread insert, too. For safety, rig up a shop vac with a HEPA filter to catch the dust from grinding.
 
Is there a particular reason you wouldn't just use a narrow insert and take multiple plunges? I suppose this can be a pain with a manual machine, but if you're doing very low quantity stuff I can't see the small amount of extra time being an issue.

On a CNC it's a complete no-brainer. I'll often go undersized on wide grooves, especially where there's a lot of stock overhang, because I can virtually eliminate the chatter I'd get with a tool the same width as the groove.
 








 
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